the octodog: how did I ever live without it?

The Octodog is a device that slices a hot dog up so it comes out looking like a....go ahead, guess....an octupus! Get it..octodog?

The hotdog is among the top ten items found in many lists concerning choking occurrences in young children. Pediatricians recommend slicing a hotdog linearly. The method of slicing a hotdog linearly can reduce the chances of choking during consumption. A sliced hotdog is a safer way to serve hotdogs to children. Octodogs are not only fun, but may be a safer way to serve hotdogs. Use Octodog’s Frankfurter converter and create Octodogs to add fun to any blah blah blah.

So folks, remember this: It's not a dildo. It's not a vibrator. It's not a really kinky way of acting on your animated hot dog character fantasies.

It's just a marketing tool to make parents feel guilty about using a regular old knife and fork to cut up their hot dogs.

Bad mom! What do you mean your children aren't using the Octodog? You cut your hot dogs into tiny pieces like that instead of in a linear fashion? I'm calling social services!

Seriously, if you buy one of these things I am going to come to your house and smack you upside your head.

I feel the same way (smack you upside the head) when I see people buying those frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You have way too busy of a life to even have a child if you can't take a minute make a PBJ!! Even if you toast the bread it only adds one more minute to prep time...

I can't be real bread, either. The thought of them makes my skin crawl!!

I don't know exactly where this trick came from, but its a common one in the culinary arts. They've also been doing it in Japan for years, usually with smaller dogs, like vienna sausages. Usually you also make a couple of slits after cooking and use some pimentos and olive bits to give the little bastards a face.

Pick up a book on Garde Manger sometime, the stuff you can turn your food into in few minutes with just a knife and some toothpicks is mind-blowing.